Massage apparatus.



J. C. JOHANSEN. MASSAGE- APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-4,1910.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

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MASSAGE APPARATUS;

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4,1910.

Patentd Mar. 14,1916.

1,175,360. I 3 SHEETS SHEETS 4 41 w J 62 505+ 2 "T 44 4 40 I 54 g 452-! 59 Q y j a 3 ZiZ ZWM Jbkazmes C, (70%,62784987) y M him/1a., warm JOHANNES CHRISTIAN J'OHANSEN, OF LONDON, ENQLAND.

. MASSAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed August 4, 1910. Serial No. 575,487. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHANNES CHRISTIAN JoHANsEN. a subject of the King of Denmark, and residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic massage apparatus more particularly for vibrating massage and it has for its object to provide a massage apparatus enabling a person to subject any part of the body to the massage without the aid of a special attendant.

Broadly my invention consists in the provision of a comparatively long preferably upright oscillating shaft to which the massage t-ool which may be of any form or description is adjustably secured and which is driven from an appropriate motor so as to perform and to transmit to the massage tool a rapid and regular vibration move ment. This oscillating shaft is so journaled as to enable the person using the apparatus to place any part ofthe body against the massage tool which to this end may be displaced'along the shaft to any convenient point, and to regulate the pressure exerted by the massage tool by appropriately pressing the part of the body under treatment against the tool. To this end I arrange on the apparatus in the proximity of the oscillating shaft or at the most convenient point or points one or two standards of comparatively rigid construction which during the treatment may be grasped by the hand of the person using the device so' as to enable him to draw the body with any desired degree of pressure against the massage tool and at the same time to secure va firm hold in any particular position. On

this standard or standards I provide by preference in anadjustable manner brackets or supports for the convenience of the user enabling him to rest his limbs, or body in'any desired position. As stated the said standard or standards are arranged to form a rigid frame work of which certain parts are constructed to constitute the bearing for the upright oscillating shaft. This frame work is mounted on a base plate carrying on the one hand the motor and other mechanism and on the other hand being provided if desired with an appropriate extension forming a platform on which the person using the apparatus may comfortably stand and thereby prevent the apparatus from being tilted or turned over during the operation. The connection between the oscillatory shaft and the driving mechanism 'may be of any appropriate construction;

but I prefer to so construct the same as to enable the user of the apparatus to adjust both the speed of the vibratory movement.

and the throw thereof at will, by means of controlling accessories so located as to be within immediate reach of the users hands. Arranged in a similar manner is an appropriate device enabling the operator to adjust the massage tool along the oscillatory shaft and in this way a simple and compact apparatusis provided which may be installed for public use, for instance in hotels or other public places or in private without necessitating the upkeep of special attendants.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates one form of my massage .apparatus according to this invention; Fig. 2

represents on an enlarged scale a partly sectional view ofthe frame work and of the oscillatory shaft; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the lower part of the driving connection for the oscillatory shaft on the line A-A of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 viewed in the direction of the arrows: Fig. 4 is a settion on the line R-B of Fig. 3'; Fig. 5 illustrates a mod fied form of the throw adiusting device. Figs. 6 and 7 show a front and a lateral elevation respectively of a massage apparatus and the means for the adjustment of the massage tool on a reduced scale.

Similar numerals designate similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus comprises a base plate 1 which is provided with a forward extension 2 formshaft 30.

ing the platform for the feet of the user as indicated. Rigidly mounted upon the base plate are two upright standards which may consist of hollow tubing and. are supported by oblique braces 4 or in some other appropriate manner.

Journaled at the top and bottom between the standards 3 is an upright shaft 5 hereinafter referred to as the massage shaft. This shaft 5 may be of any desired cross section and it may ccnsist of two or several parallel parts if desired.

The support or bearing for the upper end of the massage shaft 5 is formed by or secured to atransverse member 6 connecting the upper ends of the two upright standards 3. This bearing may of course be of any known construction. In-the form shown in Fig. 2 it consists of a socket 7 rigidly-secured to the transverse portion 6 of the frame work and provided with a central. screw-threaded bore 8 adapted to receive a screw bolt 9 provided with a nut 10 and carrying on its end a cup shaped bearing portion 11 with an inwardly tapering cavity 12.

The upper end of the shaft 5 is provided with a journal 13 fitted internally with a bushing 14 adapted to receive the cup shaped portion 11 and provided with a conical journal. 15 projecting into the cavity 12 thereof. By tightening or loosening the nut 10 this bearing can be suitably adjusted as will be readily understood. The lower end of the shaft 5 is supported upon a ball shaped journal 16 confined in a cup 17 which is arranged within a bracket 18 secured to the base plate 1 by screws or in some other known manner. The bearing 16 constitutes the end of a screw bolt 20 which extends into a screw thread portion, 21 fitted in the lower end of the massage shaft 5. Forthe adjustment of this hearing a nut 22 is provided as before. the example illustrated in the drawings the 'massage shaft is driven by an electric motor 23; but any other motor may obviously be used. To this end the massage shaft has secured to its lower portion a rocking arm. 24. having a socket shaped portion 25 as shown in Fig. 5 adapted to receive the ball shaped end of an oscillating lever 26 which is journaled in joint 27, and has its other end coupled with the crank pin 28 forming part of an eccentric 29 fast on the motor The coupling of this end of the lever 26 with the crank pin 28 is by preference effected by means of a sliding and rotatable member 31 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and therefore if the motor is started the lever 26 which is directly connected to the socket 25, and the massage shaft 5, are rapidly and alternately vibrated. In order to permit of the rocking of the upright 5 by the pivoted arm 26 which in turn is driven by the motor 23, a slight amount of easy fit or slackness may be provided between the parts. Now in order to adjust the vibratory extent of the massage shaft various devices may be provided.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the throw of vibration can be varied by displacing the supporting point or joint 27 so as to vary the length of the efiective leverage or arm of the lever 26. To this end the joint 27 is secured to or forms part of a movable bracket 32 which is capable of gliding in a guide piece 33 mounted on the base plate 1 and by means of a link 34 is connected to a ,hand lever 35 the handle 36 of which extends close to or lies within the reach of the hand of the user of the massage apparatus as shown in Fig. 1. By rocking the lever 35 in one or the other direction the bracket 32 is correspondingly displaced and the leverage of the rocker 26 is accordingly shortened or lengthened thereby causing the vibratory effect of the shaft 5 to be more or less pronounced at the will of the operator.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 a somewhat modified construction of the connection between the motor and the massage shaft is illustrated. In this construction the glider 31 which is connected to the crank pin 28 on the eccentric 29 is fitted in a hollow bracket 37 terminating in a ball shaped head 38 rotatably pivoted on a vertical post 39 which is secured to the supporting bracket 32 which in this case is immovahly secured to the base plate 1 by screws 19 or the like. Extending through a transverse bore in the top of the post 39 and into the cavity 40 in the hollow arm 37 is a link 41, the other end of which is connected by an appropriate joint connec tion 42 to a rocker or lever 43 which by preference is of cylindrical cross section and extends transversely through the massage shaft 5. To this end. the latter has secured to it at this point a spherical reinforcing portion 44 provided with journals 45 and 46 for the positioning of the rocker 43. The rocker 43 is provided with a groove 47 adapted to receive the pin or point 48 of a screw cured to the shaft 5. Instead of displacing the bracket 32 as in the above described eX- amplc, in this construction the rocker 43 together with the link 41 can be displaced for the purpose of varying the effective throw of the vibratory movement. To this end the rocker 43 together with the link 41 can be displaced in axial direction and in the arrangement illustrated in order to effect this adjustment the rocker 43 is provided with teeth 50 adapted to engage with a cylindrical pinion 51. This pinion is se' cured to a vertical stem 52 (Fig. 2) journaled in a bushing 53 fitted in the lower part of the massage shaft 5 and provided venient manner, is a steel wire 56 (Fig. 2)

which extends upwardly through the massage shaft 5 and isguided centrally in the bushing 14 and the socket 7 in the upper 7 bearing of the shaft whence it terminates in a handle 57 within which it is secured by means of a screw 58 or the like. The handle 57 which may bein the form of a hand wheel or a knob is provided-with a lower disk' shaped portion 59 supported upon a disk shaped enlargement 60 on the upper portion of the socket 7. The upper face of the disk 60 is provided with a number of holes and the disk 59 is equipped with a spring actuated snap pin 62 adapted to engage with the holes 61 so that by rotation of the handle 57 the snap pin 62 is caused to glide over the holes 61 and to snap into one or the other of these holes on being released, in a known manner. The circumference of the disk shaped portion 60 may if desired have a graduation 63 and the circumference of the disk 59 may carry an indicator 64 so as to enable the user to effect with precision any adjustment desired. It will be seen that in rotating the handle 57 the steel wire 56 will be correspondingly rotated and consequently the pinion 51 in rotating will cause a displacement of the rocker 43 in one or the other thereby varying the vibratory effect which is transmitted through the parts 37, 4:1 and 43 from the eccentric 29 driven by the motor shaft 30.

The means for adjusting the massage tool along the massage shaft too may, be of any known or appropriate construction. A convenient arrangement is shown by way of example in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings tached to an endless cord 77 guided over appropriate rollers 78, 79, 80 and 81 journaled in the upper and lower portions of the framework and enabling the operator .to displace the tool holder 76 and the massage tool at will by pulling the cord 77 in one or the other direction as desired.

Obviously constructional modifications of my apparatus are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. and I therefore wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself by the terms used in the foregoing description, excepting such as the state of the art may require.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. apparatus for vibratory massage comprising a base, an oscillating shaft direction. at the will of the operatorin which the tool holder 76 is ati mounted vertically on said base, an adjustable massage tool holder arranged on said oscillating shaft, a pivot, a lever mounted thereon and connected at one end to said shaft and a motor acting on the other end of said lever to oscillate it about its pivot, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus for vibratory massage comprising a base, an oscillating shaft mounted vertically on said base, an adjustable massage tool holder arranged on said oscillating shaft, a pivot, a lever mounted thereon, and connected at one end to sai shaft, a motor acting on the otherv end of said lever to oscillate itabout its pivot, and standards to be graspedby the user rigidly mounted on the base-inproximity to the upright shaft and a bearing for the upper enfil of said shaft supported by said standar s.

. 3. An apparatus for vibratory massage comprising a base, an oscillatory shaft mounted vertically on said base, an adjustable massage tool holder arranged on said oscillating shaft, means for oscillating the shaft about its axis through less than a complete rotation, standards to be grasped by the user rigidly mounted on the base in proximity to the upright shaft, a bearing for the upper end of said shaft supported by said standards, and means within reach of the user for adjusting at will the throw of the oscillations of the ,shaft.

4. An apparatus for vibratory massage comprising a base, an oscillatory shaft mounted vertically on said base, an adjustable massage tool holder arranged on said oscillatory shaft, a motor mounted on said base, levers oscillated by said motor, to actuate said shaft, standardsto be grasped by the user rigidly mounted on said base in proximity to the upright shaft, a bearing for the upper end of said shaft supported by said standards, and meansfor varying simultaneously the operative length of said levers. i

5. An apparatus for vibratory massage comprising a base, mounted vertically on said base, an adjustable massage tool holder arranged on said oscillatory shaft, a motor mounted on said base, a driving crank on the shaft of said motor, a lever oscillated by said driving crank, a bearing for said lever on said base,

a connecting rod telescoping with said lever and a second lever sliding in a boss on said oscillatory shaft and jointed to said rod and means for varying the position of said second lever in said boss, substantially as set an oscillatory shaft oscillatory shaft a motor mounted on said base, a driving crank on the shaft of said motor, a lever oscillated by said driving crank, a bearing for said lever on said base, a connecting rod telescoping with said lever and a second lever sliding in a boss on said oscillatory shaft and jointed to said rod, a rack on said second lever, a pinion engaging said rack, and torsional means Within reach of the user, for rotating the pinion, 10 substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHANNES CHRISTIAN JOHANSEN. Vitnesses JUSTIN E. PQLLAK, W ALTER H. DERRIMAN. 

